Helmetless support and ventilation system for a surgical hood and gown and methods of making and using same

Abstract

A helmetless support and ventilation system for use with surgical hoods and gowns, including a flexible band, a plurality of front offsets connected to the flexible band, an offset extension such that the plurality of front offsets is connected to the offset extension and the offset extension is located away from the flexible band, a plurality of faceplate attachment extensions, wherein each of the plurality of faceplate attachment extensions is connected to the offset extension, a plurality of support faceplate attachments, such that each of the plurality of support faceplate attachments are connected to each of the plurality of faceplate attachment extensions, and a ventilation system located within a surgical gown and a surgical hood for providing filtered, ventilation air within the surgical gown and the surgical hood, wherein the ventilation system is retained by shoulders of a wearer of the ventilation.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A helmetless support and ventilation system for use with surgical hoods and gowns, comprising: a flexible band; a plurality of front offsets, wherein each of the plurality of front offsets has a first end and a second end such that the first end of each of the front offsets is operatively connected to a portion of the flexible band; an offset extension having a first end and a second end such that the second end of each of the plurality of front offsets is operatively connected to the first end of the offset extension and the offset extension is located at a predetermined distance away from the flexible band; a plurality of faceplate attachment extensions, wherein each of the plurality of faceplate attachment extensions is operatively connected to the offset extension; a plurality of support faceplate attachments, such that each of the plurality of support faceplate attachments are operatively connected on one side to each of the plurality of faceplate attachment extensions; and a ventilation system located within a surgical gown and a surgical hood for providing ventilation air within the surgical gown and the surgical hood, wherein the ventilation system is retained by shoulders of a wearer of the ventilation system in order to provide ventilation aft to a face, neck, and torso of the wearer, during use; and wherein the ventilation system is further comprised of: a protective casing; a face vent module located on one side of the protective casing; an air filtration module located on the other side of the protective casing; a power module located adjacent to the face vent module; a yoke module located between the face vent module and the power module; a neck vent module located adjacent to the yoke module; a down tube module located adjacent to the neck vent module; and an air flow generation module located between the power module and the air filtration module. 
     
     
       2. The helmetless support and ventilation system for use with surgical hoods and gowns, according to  claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of support faceplate attachments is further comprised of:
 a hook and loop fastener or a magnet. 
 
     
     
       3. The helmetless support and ventilation system for use with surgical hoods and gowns, according to  claim 2 , wherein the helmetless support is further comprised of:
 a surgical gown having a surgical hood operatively connected to the surgical gown, wherein surgical hood includes a plurality of faceplate attachments such that the faceplate attachments are capable of being removably attached to the plurality of support faceplate attachments such that the helmetless support is used to support the surgical hood and gown. 
 
     
     
       4. The helmetless support and ventilation system for use with surgical hoods and gowns, according to  claim 1 , wherein the face vent module is further comprised of: a plurality of race vent connectors operatively connected to the other side of the protective casing; a plurality of removable face vents, wherein each of the plurality of removable face vents is operatively connected to each of the plurality of face vent connectors such that a position of each of the removable face vents can be adjusted; a plurality of face vent openings located substantially along a portion of each of the plurality of removable face vents; and a plurality of face vent aft flow adjustors, wherein each of the plurality of face vent flow adjustors is located adjacent to the plurality of face vent connectors. 
     
     
       5. The helmetless support and ventilation system for use with surgical hoods and gowns, according to  claim 1 , wherein the air filtration module is further comprised of; an air filtration adaptor operatively connected to the one side of the protective casing; an air filter operatively connected to the air filtration adaptor; a stretchable opening boated in a back portion of the hood that seals around the air filtration adaptor in order to ensure that all aft brought into the surgical gown and surgical hood is forced to pass through the filter; and a lanyard located adjacent to the opening and releasably connected to a portion of the surgical gown, wherein the lanyard can be used when self-doffing of the surgical gown in order to facilitate removal of the surgical hood from the air filter adaptor. 
     
     
       6. The helmetless support and ventilation system for use with surgical hoods and gowns, according to  claim 1 , wherein the yoke module is further comprised of: a plurality of yoke connectors operatively connected to the other side of the protective casing; and a yoke such that the yoke is removable connected to the plurality of yoke connectors. 
     
     
       7. The helmetless support and ventilation system for use with surgical hoods and gowns, according to  claim 1 , wherein the neck vent module is further comprised of; a neck vent operatively connected to the other side of the protective casing; a neck vent opening located along a portion of the neck vent; and a neck vent adjustment lever operatively connected to the neck vent in order to adjust an orientation of the neck vent. 
     
     
       8. The helmetless support and ventilation system for use with surgical hoods and gowns, according to  claim 1 , wherein the down tube module is further comprised of: a plurality of down tube connectors operatively connected to the other side of the protective casing; a plurality of down tubes, wherein each of the plurality of down tubes is removably connected to each of the plurality of down tube connectors; and a plurality of down tube air flow openings located along a portion of each of the plurality of down tubes.